Residents upset over Vance River pothole

Stuck: The motor vehicle driven by Roland John gets assistance from a passer-by after it got stuck in a hole on the Main Road at Vance River on Thursday night.
—Photo: Yolandra John

Mark Fraser

A giant pothole in the middle of a major roadway leading to Point Fortin has caused concern among motorists.

The depression, which appeared about a week ago, has damaged dozens of vehicles and threatened the lives of many.

Residents of Vance River, near Point Fortin, are calling on the authorities to repair the pothole immediately.

Resident Roland John said his mechanic’s bill totalled $1,000 when his Nissan Almera car was damaged on Thursday night.

“I was driving home from San Fernando around midnight when I had to go around a corner at Vance River. Another car was coming in the opposite director so I slowed down. I didn’t know there was a pothole because rain fell and the hole was filled with water,” said John.

The aggrieved motorist said his car dropped into the hole.

“I was stuck there for a long time. I couldn’t get the car out. I began flagging down vehicles but none stopped. Then this van was passing and the driver stopped. He had a piece of rope in the van and he pulled me out.”

John said his car was towed to a garage on Friday.

“I am not pleased about this, because this is a main road. We cannot have these potholes on the roadway. It damaged my car and could be dangerous to people’s lives. I am not sure how this was caused, but I know WASA was doing some work in the area.” he said.

The Express contacted the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure on Friday. An official said the matter would be investigated.